Rumpelstilskin- A short short story :P
by WildButterflies
Summary: Kenshin and Kaoru make an appearance in an old beloved fairy tale. Rated T for mentions of beheading and... other things. Actually does that require rated M? O.o
1. Chapter 1

Koshijirou is a miller. He didn't necessarily enjoy his work, but he loved the mill anyway. The mill that had been passed down for generations ensured that he married the woman he loved because he had proof of a livelihood to provide for her. After his wife died, the mill gave him a means to provide for his daughter.

This, however, did not mean that he was rich or even well off. In fact it was just enough to feed themselves and have a couple new outfits every few years. Kaoru, his daughter, had tried to help him in the mill. Unfortunately, it ended up just as her cooking did. Horribly damaged beyond recognition. He still had no idea how the flour turned black and moved on it's own.

After those disastrous results, she was banned from the mill. Kaoru, desperate to help provide, turned to sewing. This was where her talents truly lay. It seemed almost overnight that her skills with the needle became known throughout the town as legendary. She became proficient with spinning high quality threads from flax straw, and dyed them into beautiful vibrant colors.

This, of course, only bolstered the rumors. Soon the rumor became that she could spin straw into gold. Which she could in a roundabout way. If one were to count her selling her finished products for gold. At this point men began paying attention to her. Many who had never glanced her way when she and her father barely made ends meet, suddenly fell over themselves for a chance to speak with her.

Kaoru refused them all in the politest way she could think of. By offering to teach them the womanly arts of sewing. All they had to do was become a eunuch. One would not be surprised to know she had no men take the offer she had so graciously extended. Shortly after the rumor of her turning straw into gold, Koshijirou was invited to the palace of their king. When he came back to Kaoru, it was with an escort of palace guards and news that would change their life forever.

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" _You did_ _ **what**_ _?_ " Kaoru is so angry that she feels the entire house will burn down with it. Her normally imposing father sheepishly looked at her. "Well, the king asked if you were truly able to spin straw into gold. I thought that the king had called me to prove that our new wealth was legitimate. I never thought that he truly believed the rumor." Her face flushed red with rage as she screamed so loud that the people of their town swore those of the neighboring town had heard it. " _ **YOU IDIOT!"**_

She was still screaming insults as the guard bundled her into the carriage. "Kaoru, I don't think the king will be unreasonable. You just have to clear up the misunderstanding. It's not like he's going to behead you over this." It would had made her feel better had one of the palace guards not wolfishly smirked at her with narrowed yellow eyes. As the carriage pulled away, they sat in silence before one of the palace guards whispered to the one she had decided to name Creepy Wolf Guard.

She looked through the carriage window while straining her ears to hear. Kaoru had been brought up knowing that it was rude to eavesdrop, but does it count as eavesdropping if she's not looking at them? Probably, but it's the thought that counts. "Do you think the king will kill her?" Kaoru narrowed her eyes at the reflection of Creepy Wolf Guard's smirk. Well this is just fantastic.

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The audience with the king goes just as well as everything else did that day. The king is actually a ten year old boy that preferred to be called Your Highness, King Yutaro. She doesn't even manage to get a word in before he proclaims that she must spin a room full of straw into gold or be beheaded in the morning for obtaining her new wealth illegitimately.

So now Kaoru sits in a tower with a room full of straw and a spinning wheel. She is nearly ready to seriously consider murder. Instead, she plots revenge. After hours of being angry, she gives up peacefully sitting and begins screaming unintelligible curses out the window. Like a crazy person.

After screaming until she's hoarse she flops back onto the straw and stares at the ceiling. Still plotting revenge. Like hell she's letting this go- Where did the man in the corner come from? Kaoru gapes at the redheaded man in the corner before taking the spindle and waving it at him threateningly. "I was given until tomorrow to spin this straw into gold. My time isn't up yet, so get out!" The man blinks large violet eyes at her before tilting his head. "You can spin straw into gold? That's an amazing talent for a human."

Her eye begins twitching dangerously. "No, you idiot! I cannot turn straw into gold which is why I'm going to be beheaded tomorrow. So I would very much like to be alone for my last night. Now get out and leave me alone!" Kaoru's fists tremble at her side. "How did you even get in here?" The redhead looks exceedingly confused at this point. "You called me of course." He cocks his head. "What is beheaded?"

It's enough to confirm Kaoru's suspicions. This man is also an idiot. "It means they take you to a public stage and chop off your head. Blood everywhere. Sometimes it even takes a few tries for them to chop it all the way off." Satisfaction fills her as his face pales. "So now that you _understand_. Leave. Me. **Alone**."

"What will you give me if I spin the straw into gold for you?" Again, Kaoru gapes at him. " _What?!_ Redhead, humans can't make straw into gold." Now, he looks shocked enough that she doubts he realizes that it's impossible. "Oro?" Her eyebrow flies up her forehead. What on earth does oro mean? The redhead looks at his clothes before looking back up at her. "Nobody has ever thought I was human before."

This man is not an idiot. He's just crazy. For a moment, everything falls into place and is right with her world. Then she notices the pointed ears and bright pink clothing worn draped across his body. Her brain stutters to a stop because why _**why**_ is a redhead wearing pink? He edges closer to her. "What will you give me if I spin the straw into gold for you?" Kaoru's brain is still stopped when she replies. "I don't have anything except my dress right now. I don't know what I could give you."

This time, it's his eyebrows that shoot up to his hairline. "Not even a ring or a necklace?" He casts a speculative glance at her appearance before his eyes settle at the top of her head. "I'll do it for the ribbon." Numbly, she hands him the ribbon and watches him spin straw into gold. He finishes in the wee hours of the morning, and as soon as he looks as though he'll leave, she stops him. "If he's not satisfied with a single room of gold, how do I call you again?"

He slides a bracelet onto her wrist. "Just tap this to the floor or ground. I'll find you no matter where you are." She deliberately ignores the feeling of loss when he leaves. His leaving was none too soon. For as soon as he left the doors opened, and His Highness, King Yutaro attempted a sweeping walk into the room with the Creepy Wolf Guard. His Highness, King Yutaro looks amazed while Creepy Wolf Guard looks amused and smirks at her. "So how soon can you make me another room of gold?" And such began Kaoru's descent into straw hell.


	2. Chapter 2

Cannot sleep. So here's part two.

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It had taken quite a bit of wheedling and some dramatics, but she managed to convince His Highness, King Yutaro that she could only do such feats once a month. What she didn't expect was that she would be locked into an even larger room in the tower. For her own protection of course. Oh, and he had been so kind as to fill the room with straw for when she felt strong enough to perform the task again. At her own convenience of course.

His Highness, King Yutaro was quickly making his way to first place on her revenge list. In fact, he had already lost his title in her mind and become known to her as King Brat. She had quickly grown bored of being alone for the first few days, and formed a plan. During a meal delivery, she demanded cards be delivered to her. Kaoru received them within the hour to her delight. Then, she had a new problem. Who on earth would play cards with her when they were forbidden to speak or enter her room?

A glance at the simple leather and gold bracelet reminded her that there was indeed someone who could make it in and out of a room undetected. She wickedly grinned while thinking of his reaction as she summoned Redhead. Redhead appears in the room without a noise, and stares at the straw with eyebrows firmly attached to his hairline. "Getting a little greedy are we?" Kaoru snorts, in a ladylike fashion of course, before slapping the cards on the floor.

"I told King Brat that it takes a month or two to recuperate after making such a large amount. Therefore, you're here to play cards." She is very very entertained by his reaction. "Oro?!" He looks at her strangely. As though she were the one wearing the headache inducing pink thing that he seemed to think were clothes. Kaoru shuffles the cards before dealing. "Cards. Don't you know how to play?" His mouth opens and closes like a fish as he struggles to reply without sputtering. "People don't call Fae to _play cards_." He devolves into a rant in another language. Fae had their own language? How interesting…

Kaoru uses her best strict no-nonsense voice. "Cards. Now." After the first few days of insisting that Fae are not supposed to be called for playing cards. Fae are supposed to make deals or spirit people away. This is so unnatural blah blah blah. Honestly, it was like he expected her to care about all that nonsense. They grow close during the wait, and eventually King Brat begins to whine about how the straw has yet to become gold. Redhead spins the straw into gold when it comes close to the one and a half month mark. It wasn't until after that he remembered to require payment. He looks mortified as he asks. "And what will you give me as payment for the work I've done?"

Fae are supposed to collect payment before work. _Everyone_ knows this. She can hear the keys as King Brat and Creepy Wolf Guard come closer to the door. Kaoru is definitely not going to let Redhead leave without a payment. What could she give him anyway? It's an incredibly stupid idea that has her yanking his head close to hers and pressing a chaste kiss to his lips.

Redhead's face is flushed red and he is stuttering when the sound of a key in the lock shuts him up. Redhead vanishes and Kaoru is facing the door when it's opened. King Brat is looking ecstatic again. Creepy Wolf Guard is looking… Creepier and very amused. She finds out why when King Brat opens his mouth. "Well you've provided so much for the kingdom. I think one more roomful of gold, and you won't have to make anymore for the rest of your life because you'll be married to me. There's no higher honor really. You should be honored by this."

Married. To a ten year old child. She barely catches herself from smacking him across the head several times. Like it or not he is the king, and she likes her head on her shoulders. Where it belongs. The next room is even larger than the previous, and the straw is stacked to the ceiling. "This should be enough to fund our country until we're old. Well, you'll be old." Creepy Wolf Guard is smirking wider than ever before when they leave her in that room.

Kaoru immediately flops down on the straw and begins to think of what she can do to get herself out of this mess. Not once does she call Redhead, so she is surprised when he shows up a week later. This time, he seems different. Dangerous somehow with his hair covering his eyes. "You didn't call me." Kaoru frowns at him. "I don't need anymore gold." Redhead hisses angrily, but doesn't move to look at her.

She is too tired and stressed to deal with his- whatever this is. Tantrum maybe? So she flops back into the straw. Kaoru can feel the danger edge away, and nearly shrieks from surprise when violet eyes are suddenly staring into hers. She can see suspicion and… Oh. _Oh_! He's concerned. Redhead is acting like this because he was worried about her.

Kaoru sighs and looks away from him. "Redhead," She loves how much he hates that nickname. He deserves it though, for damaging her eyes with that horrid _pink_ thing he wears. "Apparently, if the straw here is spun to gold, I'm to marry the king. I've been thinking that no matter how I look at it, there is no way out." And there's the dangerous feeling again. She turns to frown at him only to freeze at the sight of gold eyes. Those are new.

Kaoru parts her lips to speak only to be cut off before she could begin. His lips are on hers and between kisses he whispers possessive nonsense to her. Kaoru can feel her competitive streak raise its hackles and she blames it entirely for what slips out. "Prove it." So he does.

She wakes to being surrounded by warmth, and she has a new idea. "You know… Only a maiden can marry the king." Kaoru watches him narrow gold eyes at her. "And I'm pretty sure you've been gypped with the whole room of gold for a ribbon and a kiss thing. Especially with how badly you lost to me at cards so many times." The raised eyebrow is a pretty good sign he knows where she's going with this, but she forges on ahead anyway. "So it only makes sense that you take the girl with you right?"

He chuckles warmly, and tightens the arm around her waist. "And how long am I to keep the girl?" Kaoru can't stop from beaming at him. "Forever of course." A soft smile before he whispers into her ear. "Well my wife should know the name of her husband. It's Kenshin."

And then he spirits her away like a proper Fae. Right after doing her a small favor as a wedding gift. King Brat and Creepy Wolf Guard will forever only be able to wear the brightest pink in existence. For as soon as clothes touch their skin, they'll turn to the color. Kaoru may not be able to talk Kenshin out of wearing pink, but at least she won't suffer alone. And, of course, it fulfills her revenge.


End file.
